The Ogre Strength Fairy and the Eldest 'Son'
Chapter 92 - Carefully Explaining To A Moth Just Whose Lamp It Is...

Chapter 92: Chapter 92 - Carefully Explaining To A Moth Just Whose Lamp It Is...

The ’groom’ lowered her blade - and the one calling himself Lirante completely lost the rest of his apparently limited composure.

"It’s not fair! How am I supposed to compete with you? You’re everything I’ve ever wanted to be!"

Elua’s eyes widened in early realization as her spirit had been tightly monitoring him. The young man continued, oblivious to the reaction he was causing in the young bride or the crowd around him.

"Your strength, your grace, your... your masculinity! I’ve admired you since our Youth Guild days, Qatrand! Why couldn’t I be the one to stand there next to you!?"

Silence fell awkwardly over the gathering. Confessions during the ceremony were not unheard of, but most had the tact to voice them much sooner or not at all. The Challenges were meant to test mettle, not the couple’s relationship. Qatrand stood there woodenly... very unsure how to respond.

’He must have been here for my vows, right? Why would he... no, more importantly I’m certain I’ve never had an attraction to men. Do I say that out loud? Somehow it seems rude, considering the truth is I am a woman. I don’t want to make him feel bad about his inclinations and-’

A pair of ancient eyes watched her spirit flicker with uncertainty, herself torn between amusement and something darker. Ultimately, after less than a dozen seconds, the most ’flinty’ voice many had heard from the Goltbred heiress was paired with a closed eyed smile.

"I think we need to have a little chat."

Elua led the young man through the crowd with a grip on his elbow as firm as she could make it without turning *extremely* painful. Once they were out of earshot, she finally turned to face him. Her smile was still ’sweet’ but her opened eyes were razor sharp!

"Lirante, was it? How kind of you to join us on our special day. I do so *greatly* appreciate your... enthusiasm."

Her tone had smothered ’honey’ over the flint from before, but there was something in that change which made Lirante even more uncomfortable.

"Now, let’s have a little chat about your feelings for my spouse, shall we? It’s admirable - and I really mean that - to hold onto such devotion for so long. But I’m afraid I have some news that might disappoint you."

Elua er Goltbred leaned in closer as her voice dropped to a chilly monotone near-whisper.

"Qatrand is mine. Wholly... completely... and irrevocably mine. Your admiration, while touching, is ultimately misplaced if you intend to keep it. You see, Lirante, I don’t share well with others... Lirante. Not now and not ever."

Her smile widened to show off her teeth as her facade was flipped back into place.

"So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to go back out there, apologize for your *irreverent* outburst, and then you’re going to leave. And if I ever hear that you’ve approached my Qat with any intention other than polite, distant respect, well..."

Mint eyes seemed to glow and the air around them grew heavy with her essence. For a moment, she looked past the young man to other times and places. Faces flashed before her - some pleading, some defiant... but all eventually cowed. Even if sometimes it was too late.

"Let’s just say that what you might have seen of my skills is nothing compared to what I can do when properly motivated. I’d hate for you to become an object lesson in why one shouldn’t covet what belongs to others."

She patted his cheek gently as her demeanor instantly shifted back to that of the blushing bride. The cultivator had lost count of how many times she’d had to draw these sort of lines in order to protect what was hers!

"But I’m sure it won’t come to that, will it? You seem like such a smart young man. Smart enough to be attracted to my Qat, anyway. Now - shall we rejoin the party? I believe you have an apology to make before leaving."

When they returned through the crowd, Lirante was pale and wide-eyed. He had wanted to run so bad the entire time she’d spoken, but his body had been unable to move away from the girl until she let him go. He bowed deeply to both Qatrand and Elua.

"I... I apologize for my behavior. Congratulations on your union."

As he scurried away after his words, whispers erupted among the guests - most of them comparing the young girl to her mother. The one they spoke of rejoined her husband-wife and linked both her arms around hers.

"What did you say to him?"

El’s smile to her murmured question was ’innocence’ itself, which couldn’t possibly fool the blonde.

"Oh, nothing much. Just a friendly chat about respecting *clearly* posted boundaries~"

Her father standing nearby leaned towards his own wife.

"Is it just me, or did our daughter sound... remarkably like you just then?"

Yatrel had on one of the proudest smirks she’d ever worn. It didn’t fade in the slightest even when the officiant’s voice shouted across the plateau from right next to her.

"Honored guests! With the traditional period of Challenge concluded - these tests of skill and grace complete - we now turn our attention to the Feast that awaits!"

A cheer passed through the crowd and all the guests began to move towards the upper terraces. At the top, long tables groaned under the weight of coastal delicacies. The scent of salt-crusted fish and herb-roasted shellfish wafted on the sea breeze as attendants pulled the covers from a few.

The wedded couple’s hands found each other... their fingers interlocking naturally enough that the onlookers could tell it was far from the first time. Qatrand started to lead the way forward, their silver attire catching the fading sunlight. She decided to outwardly ignore the rumbling sounds coming from her wife... even as her steps hastened slightly.

Elua’s gaze swept over the crowd as they walked with her ’sweet’ smile firmly in place. Suddenly, her steps faltered and Qat felt the change immediately. Her spirit mobilized in tight ’fury’. Among the sea of faces, an extremely familiar visage caught her eye - one she hadn’t seen in millennia.

Her breath caught in her throat and she clenched her fist as her spirit... backed off from turning the person into a blubbering mess with her illusions.

’Coinci...dence. Right? That Astralism I sense isn’t the right one. But-’

"El? What’s wrong?"

Tendrils tightened protectively around the brunette. The reincarnator blinked and shook her head. She closed her eyes and tried to get the face of that former disciple out of her mind - that betrayer of trust who were themselves soon betrayed... denying her a more proper vengeance.

It wasn’t something to let sink into her special day.

"Nothing, just... a ghost from the past. I’ll be fine."

Her voice was a monotone whisper that made her Qat only more worried. Before she could press further, mint eyes shone up at her with ’perverse delight’. It didn’t particularly make her feel better! While they kept walking, bombardments of ’assurance’ started to strike the swordswoman.

"Are you ready to face a different kind of challenge, my ’fortress’?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why, what else but the treacherous terrain of party small talk and politicking, of course. Sounds far more perilous than any cultivator duel, wouldn’t you agree?"